Abbey of Mont - Saint - Michel

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Cultural program! That was the key word for today's activities.

After reaching our parking spot at Ardevon, we walked to the central parking area of Mont-Saint-Michel. From there, we took the shuttle bus to the bridge leading to the medieval rocky island with its abbey.

In the town, still surrounded by the fortification walls from the 13th century, it was hard to move without bumping into people. The mass of visitors pushed through the large gate with the drawbridge, through the narrow alleyways, and up the historic stairs to the hill. Only after passing through the entrance area to the museum in the old abbey could one walk at their own pace again and have a bit of space around them.

The abbey was overwhelming. Built on and within the rocks, incredibly large rooms rose up. The large abbey church formed the pinnacle of the ensemble and rests on three crypts. At the feet of the church extended over three floors the monastery “La Merveille” with all its components, including a refectory, dormitory, a scriptorium with large windows, and even a cloister. The monastery garden appeared rather small, perched atop the rock.

After leaving the thick, cool walls of the complex, we walked back towards the car. This time we passed over a sheep pasture and right through the flock, whose sheep were very particular about maintaining a safety distance of at least two meters from us.

In the evening, we treated ourselves to a nice dinner at the pizza food truck that had come specifically to the parking area.